Regret hits me the second I step out of the car.

A bomb of expletives explodes from my mouth, but everybody else is so excited about the beach that they don't hear me. With a hand shielding my eyes, I scowl at the cloudless sky that's cooperating with the evil sun to bake us all. After ten minutes of walking, the sweltering heat crawls under my skin like an annoying itch that refuses to go away.

I know my skin is sensitive and I've already slapped on sunblock, but it doesn't help. The more I scratch, the more my skin burns. I don't wish to turn into a red, angry lobster, but for Avery's sake, I grit my teeth and try my hardest to endure the heat. None of them seem to look as annoyed as I am.

Old Orchard Beach is a seven mile-long beach that's on the Southern Maine Coast—a hot tourist spot. Summer is ending, but the heat isn't going away that quickly. A handful of people are in their swimwear, nestling in the shade of several palm trees. Some are tossing frisbees, handballs or suntanning.

Under the glare of the sun, the gentle breeze is my greatest source of relief. I pause in my steps, relishing in the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. It calms my mind. They always do, which is why whenever I'm stressed, I would sneak out of my house alone to come to this place.

But if Mom finds out, I'll get a horrible earful and end up being deaf for days.

Suddenly, Avery exclaims loudly. "Speed up, guys! The last person treats!"

She's joking, but the boys and I chase after her. I don't like to lose a challenge, so I dash ahead and startle everyone with my speed.

Leo whistles after me. Obviously in awe. "Whoa, Delia! What is that? How come you aren't on the track team?"

Instead, I stick out my tongue at him and hook arms with a proud-looking Momma Avery. He jogs up to our side, shooting me a curious, amused look. "I'm serious, Delia. You can try out for the school's team."

"Not happening because I'm a lazy bum."

"Well, get your ass moving!"

"What I do with my ass is none of your business!"

"But think of how many medals you can get if you run like that?"

"Oh god! You sound just like Gramps!"

"Guys!" Avery groans between us and covers her ears. "Stop shouting into my eardrums!"

Most of the people that visit this place come to The Pier. What used to be an old wooden wharf remodeled a few years ago by some reputable company called World Solutions. They are a well-reputed and highly distinguished company, constantly breaking barriers in their technology.

As the oceans become increasingly polluted over the years, their team has designed a special micro-filtration system and ultraviolet disinfection to treat wastewater directly from the seas immediately. They built a zone around The Pier to contain the clean waters and recreate man-made waves for surfers. Treated water in a pristine blue color sweeps up the shore, but it's just a mere distraction for people to forget that pollution exists.

There are similar beaches like this out there in the world. They are few in numbers, but it's because projects like this require millions of bucks. World Solutions has made it widely known that their aim is to preserve the long history of the beach from 1898 and what's left of the beauty. Yet, with the recent facility explosions, they themselves have become a murderer of the ocean.

At The Pier, we're allowed to swim as much as we want. As long as we don't cross the border, we're safe from the polluted water that's potentially harmful to our skin.

The beach is getting crowded. Leo and Avery quicken their pace ahead of me, leaving Spencer and me to our own devices. An awkward silence sits between us as neither of us knows what to say to the other. Most of the time, my mouth blabbers non-stop around people I'm comfortable with, but for strangers, I don't deal well with them.

He breaks the silence first. "Do you always have short hair, Delia? The last time I saw you, it was long."

My fingers graze the ends of my hair strands. Clearly, I'm not as invisible as I thought I was in school. "You noticed."

"It's hard not to. Your hair color stands out," he shrugs, "but not in a bad way. It's pretty."

I get his compliment. Mom and our relatives always praise my hair—platinum blonde. People would often ask me where I had dyed my hair and get really startled when I tell them it's all natural. I'm born with it because Dad has blessed me with his genes. It's one of the few things that connects me to him, especially when I've never once met him before.

"Why did you cut it? Is it one of those girl things? Did someone break your heart?"

I snort at Spencer's question. "No. The heat got to me so badly that I grabbed a pair of scissors and cut them all off. Afterwards, I donated them to Locks for Love."

"That's great."

I babble on for no reason. "Do you know that an average human will grow 590 miles' worth of hair during their lifetime?" TMI, Cordelia Walters, TMI. Shut up.

He gives me the most unimpressed stare ever. "Err, cool."

I shrug. At this moment, I'm pretty certain he has lost interest in me. He might as well label me as a mental patient, and that's alright because it's not like I'm trying to win his heart. Like I've mentioned before, he's just an eye candy. He has the looks, but realistically speaking; he isn't my type.

Avery removes her sandals and leaves them in the sand. She runs straight for the waters, not caring if her shirt and shorts get wet. Leo and Spencer follow suit, and the three of them splash at each other playfully.

"Delia?" Avery waves me over. "What are you waiting for? Come and join us! The water is refreshing!"

"Coming!"

Because I don't have any spare clothes, I'm trying my best to avoid getting wet. I take off my sneakers and roll up my jeans. Once I get close enough, I dip my feet into the water.

But something strange happens.

A jolt of pain hits me at the immediate contact, and I flinch. Pulling my feet out quickly, I leap back several feet from the waves. Wearing a terrified and confused expression. My odd behavior doesn't go unnoticed, and Avery stops splashing water at her boyfriend.

"Delia, what's wrong?"

I shake my head to dispel her concern. "Nothing!" I yell back. "The water is warmer than I thought."

Of course, that's a lie. What I've felt isn't genuine pain, it's something else. An unexplainable feeling has swept through me, leaving me utterly sad, helpless and confused. Since young, I'm highly attuned to the waters, but this is the first time I've felt it respond negatively to my touch.

The ocean is crying.

***

After half an hour of watching my friends dip their feet in the waters, we head for the ice cream parlor that's on The Pier. They line the walkway with rows of cafes, souvenir shops, small food vendors, and even a nightclub at the end of the pier.

Spencer isn't with us, because he's busy picking up a surfer girl that he has just stumbled upon. Boys will always be boys.

Avery glares at him for ruining her plan, her eyes shooting daggers, whereas Leo's munching away on snacks that he has bought from a nearby stall. He holds them out towards me and offers some calamari. "Ocean bites. Do you want some, Delia?"

I wrinkle my nose in disgust. "No thanks. Not a fan of seafood."

He blinks at me in surprise. "Not even fish?" he asks and I shake my head. "You're the first person I meet who doesn't like it. Come on, try it. Unlike its name, it won't bite you."

I glare at the paper box of food in his hands, unconvinced by his words. Thankfully, Avery comes to my rescue. "No, Leo. She can't. I saw her breaking out in rashes the last time she accidentally ate Hot Crab Pinwheels."

"Oh no." He gives me a look of pity and offers me something else instead. "Nuggets?"

I grin and stuff one into my mouth. "That's really good."

"Great. Have them all then."

He's generous—I'll give him that. "You're the best, Leo."

He grins back at me and orders our ice cream—strawberry shortcake for Avery, moose tracks for Leo, mint chocolate chip for me, and none for Spencer because he has abandoned us. We find ourselves a table to savor our cold, delicious ice cream. The couple beside me flirts in plain view, reminding me of being a third-wheel again. It makes me want to put on a good show of gagging and throwing myself into the ocean just to get away from them.

I finish my ice cream and can't help but crave for more. "I'm ready for seconds. Anybody want more?"

Both Avery's and Leo's faces light up in sheer delight and they yell at the same time. "Chocolate!"

I pretend to play server and jot down their order with my nonexistent pen and notepad. "I'll be right back."

Turning around, I hum a catchy tone under my breath and make a beeline for the ice cream bar. However, I don't get far because a commotion happens.

I hear a loud cry. Everybody stares at the owner of the voice — a skinny teenage boy in his swimming trunks — who's frantically pointing out into the ocean. All eyes follow his direction, where we spot a dark mass floating in the waters outside of the zone. Seconds later, several horrified gasps emanate from the crowd, including mine.

Somebody screams.

"It's a dead body!"